Pulse radiolytic induced transient electrical conductance in liquid solutions

Abstract

A conductance technique has been used to study the radiolysis of aqueous solutions of some inorganic cations and of O₂ within the first ms after exposure to a submicrosecond pulse of 15 MeV electrons. Further evidence is obtained for the reduction of Cd²⁺ and Ni²⁺ to unstable monovalent species. The conductance changes produced in solutions of Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺ are only explicable if OH radical oxidation is included in addition to reduction. The rate constants for OH+Ag⁺ and OH+Cu²⁺ are 6.3 × 10⁹ and 3 × 10⁸ 1.mol^–1s^–1 respectively. The technique can be used to determine a value of pK( HO₂)= 4.80. The ratios of g(H⁺) to g(e^–), g(OH) and g(H) respectively are in agreement with expected values.